Current-regulator



F. L. RE QUA.

CURRENT REGULATOR.

APPLICATION men AUG.I9, 191s.

Patented Sept. 13,1921.

'RELATiV E LY ADJUST/KB L E I ES/vwWXO- P M 1. Xe/QW UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK L RE Q'U'A, 0] MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB TO THE CUTLER-HAIHEB MIG. 00., 01- MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS- CONBIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Application fled August 19, 1918. serial No. 250,421.

To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. Rn QUA, a citizen of the United States,residing. at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements inCurrent-Regulators, of which the following is a full,-clear, concise,andexact description reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming a art of this specificatlon.

his invention relates to current regulators for incandescent lamps andother translating devices.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicientcurrent regulator obviating the necessity for regulating resistances andhence obviating the waste of energy incident to the use of suchresistances.

Another object is to provide a regulator of the aforesaid characteraffording a continuous variation of current as distinguished from a stepb step variation.

Another ob ect 1s to provideregulating means particularly adapted forinstallations requiring economy of space.

A further object is to provide regulating means particularly adapted forremote control.

Other objects and advantages will herein-v 'modification of theembodiment shown in Fig. 1.

eferring to the drawing, the same shows a bank of incandescent lamps 1supplied with current by an A. C. generator 2, and regulating meansincluding a magnetic amphfier 3 and a commutator 4 driven by a motor. 5to control said amplifier in a manner hereinafter described.

The magnetic amplifier 3 is of a wellknown type havin alternatingcurrent windings 6 and 7 an a direct current winding 8, the formerwindings being respectively wound on magnetic cores -9 and 10 and thelatter winding being wound on adjacent portions of the two cores. Thewindings 6 and 7 are connected in series with one another and includedin the. lamp circuit whereby, as will be understood, the current flowingin the lamp circuit is subjected to regulation by the winding 8. Morespecifically, the Winding 8 inductively influences the windings 6 and 7to regulate the flow of current through the latter windings according tothe amountof current supplied to the former Winding. The winding 8 issupplied with current from a constant potentlal direct current circuitIf-L and for control in the manner hereinafter specified, is providedwith a local circuit lncluding a capacity 11 although said capacitymight be replaced by a resistance 12, as shown in Fig. 2.

The commutator 4 comprises two segments 13 and 14 and two brushes 15 and16, one or both of said brushes being ad 'ustable rotatively of saidcommutator. he segments 13 and 14 are insulated from one another androtatable by the motor 5 which is shown as of the shunt type and assupplied with current from the circuit L'-L The commutator is interposedbetween one terminal of the winding 8 of the magnetic amplifier and thesupply circuit, i. e., the brush 16 is connected to the winding 8 andthe brush 15 to the supply circuit whereby the brushes must be bridgedby one of the commutator segments to complete the circuit of saidwinding. Also, the brushes 15 and 16 have a capacity 17 connectedtherebetween to minimize sparking upon interruption of the circuit ofwinding 8 by the commutator.

With this arrangement'the .commutator will intermittently sub'ect thewinding 8 to the potential of circuit L'--L while said.

winding which is inductive will discharge back through the capacity 11or resistance 12 when its circuit is interrupted and the current thussupplied to said winding will be a function of the intermittency of theimpressed voltage. More specifically, by properly roportioning theelectrical constants of t e circuits the current through the winding 8will be substantially constant for a given applied potential and a givenratio of the time of potential application to the total time requiredfor one cycle of operation of the commutator, whereas a variation insaid ratio will vary the current through said winding. Also, the currentthrough the winding 8 may be varied by varying the speed of rotation ofthe commutator as b variation of the speed of motor 5 througi the mediumof a field rheostat It. Where the shunt for the winding 8 comprises aresistance, the speed of rotation of the commutator above a criticalvalue will have little or no effect on the current through said windingbut where said shunt comprises a capacity the current through saidwinding may be varied over a considerable range and in practice thecurrent may be varied by both of the aforesaid methods.

As will be apparent, the aforesaid ratio may be varied by relativeadjustment of the commutator brushes. When the angular displacement ofthe brushes about the commututor is 180 the winding 8 will receive nopotential and conse uently no current will flow therethrough. n theother hand, when the angular displacement of the brushes is increased ordecreased the winding 8 will be intermittently subjected to a potentialfor periods determined by the relative adjustment of said brushes andaccordingly will receive current of a value approximately proportionalto the ratio of the time of potcntial application to the total timerequired for one revolution of the commutator.

Assuming the desirability of controlling a translating device having aninductive regulating winding, it is to be understood that the meansillustrated for controlling the winding 8 might be employed to directlycontrol such translating device.

Further, it is to be understood that While the commutator is illustratedas having but two segments for commutations upon half revolutions, saidcommutator might be provided with any preferred number of segments forreduction of the degree of rotation required for successivecommutations.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a current regulator, the combination with a magnetic amplifierhaving coordinated alternating and direct current windings, of a localcircuit for the direct current winding of said amplifier and means forsubjecting said last mentioned winding to a given potentialintermittently.

2. In a current regulator, the combination with a magnetic am lifierhaving coordinated alternating an direct current windings, of a localdischarge circuit for the direct current winding of said magneticamplifier and means for subjecting said last mentioned winding to agiven potential intermittently and varying the duration of the periodsdurin which such potential is applied to said lrect current winding.

3. In a current regulator, the combination with a magnetic am lifierhaving coordinated alternating an direct current windings, of a shuntfor the direct current winding of said magnetic amplifier and means forsubjecting said last mentioned winding to a given potentialintermittently and varying the ratio of the time of application of such)otential to the total time of one cycle.

4. n a current regulator, the combination with a magnetic am lifierhaving coordinated alternating am direct current windings, of a shuntcircuit for the direct current winding of said magnetic amplifier, aconstant potential source of current for said direct current winding anda commutator to periodically establish and interrupt connections betweensaid direct current winding and said source, said commutator havingbrushes relatively adjustable to vary the duration of the periods duringwhich such connections are established relatively to those during whichsuch conenctions are interrupted.

5. In a current regulator, the combination with a magnetic am lifierhaving coordinated alternating an direct current windings, of a localdischarge circuit for said di rect current winding, a constant potentialsource of current for said direct current winding and means toperiodically establish and interrupt circuit between said direct currentwinding and said source, said means being adjustable to vary thefrequency of interruption and establishment of such circuit.

6. In a current regulator, the combination with a magnetic amplifierhaving coordinated alternating and direct current windings, of a localdischarge circuit for said direct current winding, a constant potentialsource of current for said direct current winding and means toperiodically establish and interrupt circuit between said direct currentwinding and said source, said means being adjustable to vary thefrequency of interruption and establishment of such circuit and alsobeing adjustable to vary the duration of the periods during which suchcircuit is established relatively to those during which such circuit isinterrupted.

7. The combination with an alternating current circuit, of regulatingmeans therefor including an amplifying device having a plurality ofwindings, certain being connected in said circuit and another to besupplied with direct current, a capacity connected across the terminalsof said latter winding, a constant potential source of current for saidlatter winding and means to periodically establish and interrupt circuitbetween said latter winding and said source, said means being adjustableto vary the frequency of interruption and establishment of such circuit.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FREDERICK L. 'RE QUA.

